Every payment gateway charges for what they do. Razorpay takes 2% plus 18% GST per transaction. Stripe charges 2–3%. PayU similar. For a hotel processing ₹5 lakh a month in room and restaurant payments, that is ₹10,000–15,000 in fees every month — before GST — going to a payment processor who sits between you and your guest's money.
Zitlin's QR payment approach removes that intermediary entirely. A QR code is generated from your invoice. Your guest scans it using their own bank app — BHIM, GPay, PhonePe, GoPay, GrabPay, or any compatible local banking app depending on where they are. The money moves directly into your bank account via your country's national payment rail. Zitlin records the confirmation. Nothing takes a cut.
How It Works
The payment flow is straightforward and requires no card terminal, no payment gateway account, and no technical setup beyond entering your payment credentials once in Zitlin.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Folio or bill created | Zitlin generates a QR code pre-filled with the exact invoice amount |
| Staff shows QR to guest | Display on screen, print on bill, or send via WhatsApp — all work |
| Guest scans with their bank app | UPI app, DuitNow app, PromptPay, GoPay, or any compatible local app |
| Payment transfers directly | Money moves from guest's bank to your bank via national payment rail |
| Staff confirms in Zitlin | Mark payment received — folio updates, settlement recorded |
The key detail: Zitlin generates the QR and records the payment. It does not sit in the payment flow. There is no Zitlin payment account that holds your money or settles to you later. The transaction is between your guest's bank and your bank — the same way a direct bank transfer works, but via a scannable code.
Supported QR Payment Systems
| System | Country / Region | Works with |
|---|---|---|
| UPI | India | BHIM, GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, all UPI-compatible bank apps |
| UPI cross-border | Bhutan | Indian UPI apps — cross-border linkage via NPCI-RMA |
| SGQR / PayNow | Singapore | DBS, OCBC, UOB, POSB, GrabPay, and all PayNow-linked banks |
| PromptPay (Thai QR) | Thailand | All Thai bank apps, TrueMoney, SCB, Kasikorn |
| QR Ph | Philippines | InstaPay, GCash, Maya, all QR Ph-compatible bank apps |
| VietQR | Vietnam | NAPAS-connected apps, all major Vietnamese bank apps |
| QRIS | Indonesia | GoPay, OVO, Dana, ShopeePay, all QRIS-compatible apps |
| DuitNow | Malaysia | Maybank, CIMB, RHB, Touch 'n Go, all DuitNow-linked banks |
| SEPA QR | Europe | All SEPA-zone bank apps supporting SEPA Credit Transfer QR |
All systems are pre-integrated. You enter your payment credentials once per property — your UPI ID, your PayNow number, your DuitNow merchant ID — and Zitlin generates the QR from your invoice amount automatically from that point.
Additional systems are added on demand. If your market uses a QR payment system not on this list, contact us — expanding to a new system typically requires adding a QR format, not a new payment integration.
Works on Accommodation and Restaurant Invoices
QR payments work across every billing context in Zitlin:
Room folios: Generate a QR from a guest's accommodation folio at checkout. The QR includes the total amount including room charges, room service, and any food or beverage charges added during the stay. Guest scans once, full balance settles.
Restaurant bills: Generate a QR at the table from a restaurant bill. Particularly useful in open-air or poolside settings where a card terminal isn't practical. Guest scans with their preferred app.
Advance deposits: Generate a QR for a partial or full advance deposit against a future reservation. Deposit is recorded in the folio and deducted from the balance due at checkout.
Split payments: A guest paying part by cash and part by QR is handled on the same folio — record each payment method separately, Zitlin tracks the balance.
Why 0% Commission Is Possible
Payment gateways charge because they are the intermediary — they receive the guest's payment, hold it, and settle it to you after deducting their fee. Their cost covers the infrastructure of being that middleman: routing, fraud monitoring, reconciliation, settlement cycles, and support.
Zitlin is not a payment gateway. It does not receive your guest's money. The payment goes from the guest's bank directly to your bank account via the national payment infrastructure of the relevant country (NPCI in India, PayNet in Malaysia, NAPAS in Vietnam, and so on). These national rails are either free or very low cost for the receiving party by design — UPI bank-to-bank transfers have zero MDR by government mandate in India.
Zitlin's role is to generate the correct QR format, pre-fill it with the invoice amount, and let you record confirmation of receipt. That is a feature of the PMS — not a payment processing service. So there is no commission to charge.
Zitlin QR vs Payment Gateways vs Cash vs Card Terminals
| Zitlin QR | Payment gateway (Razorpay / Stripe / PayU) | Card terminal | Cash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission per transaction | 0% | 2% + 18% GST (India) | 1–3% (merchant acquirer) | 0% |
| Hardware required | None — phone or screen | Integration required | Terminal device, network | None |
| Settlement to your account | Instant — direct transfer | T+1 to T+2 days | T+1 to T+3 days | Immediate, manual handling |
| Works for restaurant tables | Yes | Requires POS integration | Yes, with terminal | Yes |
| Reconciliation in Zitlin | Yes — confirmed manually | Can be automated via webhook | Can be automated | Manual |
| Works across countries | Yes — 9 systems | Depends on gateway | Visa/MC only | Local only |
| Guest needs a bank app | Yes | No — accepts cards too | No | No |
| Best for | QR-native markets (India, SEA) | International card payments | Card-first markets | Low-value, low-volume |
The honest comparison: payment gateways are better if your guests primarily pay by international card and you need automated reconciliation at high volume. Zitlin QR is better if your guests are in India or Southeast Asia where QR payment adoption is high, you want to avoid per-transaction fees, and you don't need a physical card terminal.
The two are not mutually exclusive — some properties accept QR for domestic guests and keep a card terminal for international guests. Zitlin records all payment methods on the same folio regardless of how the guest pays.
Accept QR Payments from Any Device
What QR Payment Penetration Actually Looks Like in Target Markets
India: UPI processed over 13 billion transactions per month in 2025. The majority of domestic guests at independent hotels pay by UPI already — phone-to-screen QR is the dominant checkout behaviour in Indian hospitality below the five-star bracket.
Indonesia: QRIS is mandated by Bank Indonesia as the single interoperable QR standard, meaning any QR Ph-compatible app (GoPay, OVO, Dana, ShopeePay) scans the same QRIS code. No multi-QR confusion for the front desk.
Malaysia: DuitNow is used by all major Malaysian banks and Touch 'n Go. One QR covers the full domestic market.
Thailand: PromptPay is the national payment rail. All Thai bank apps and TrueMoney scan the same QR.
Philippines: QR Ph is the BSP-mandated standard. GCash and Maya together cover the majority of Filipino mobile payment users.
Vietnam: VietQR is NAPAS-governed and supported by all major Vietnamese banks including Vietcombank, BIDV, and Techcombank.
Singapore: SGQR and PayNow are universally adopted. All Singapore banks and GrabPay support it.
Bhutan: Cross-border UPI operates between India and Bhutan via the NPCI-RMA linkage, allowing Indian travellers to pay with their usual UPI apps without currency conversion friction.
Europe: SEPA QR supports bank-initiated credit transfers across the 36-country SEPA zone — relevant for independent hotels in Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and other Eastern European markets where Zitlin has traction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 0% commission — is there a catch? No catch. Zitlin generates the QR code but does not process the payment. The guest's money goes directly from their bank to yours via the national payment rail of the relevant country (UPI in India, PayNet in Malaysia, NAPAS in Vietnam, etc.). Zitlin's role is generating the QR and recording your confirmation — not moving money. There's no payment processing happening inside Zitlin for it to take a commission on.
Do I need a separate payment gateway account alongside Zitlin QR? No, for QR-native markets. If your guests primarily pay by UPI, QRIS, DuitNow, or another supported system, Zitlin QR is sufficient. If you also take international card payments, you will need a card terminal or payment gateway separately — Zitlin records those payments on the folio too.
What credentials do I need to set up QR payments? For UPI: your property's UPI ID. For SGQR/PayNow: your PayNow registered number or UEN. For DuitNow: your DuitNow merchant ID. For QRIS, VietQR, QR Ph, PromptPay, and SEPA: the equivalent identifier for your country's system. Enter it once in Zitlin settings — all QR codes generated from that point will use your credentials.
Can I use this for restaurant table payments without a card terminal? Yes. You can generate a payment QR from any restaurant bill in Zitlin. Display it on a tablet or phone, print it on the bill, or send it via WhatsApp. Guest scans with their banking app and pays. No terminal hardware required.
Does the guest need to download any app? No Zitlin app required. Guests use whatever banking or wallet app they already have — BHIM, GPay, PhonePe for UPI; GoPay, Dana for QRIS; Maybank or Touch 'n Go for DuitNow; and so on. If they already use mobile banking, they can scan the QR.
What happens if the guest pays the wrong amount? Because the QR is generated from the invoice, the amount is pre-filled in the payment screen the guest sees. They cannot accidentally enter a different amount in most QR systems — the amount is locked at the QR level. In the rare cases where the system allows amount editing, confirm the received amount matches the invoice before marking payment complete in Zitlin.
Does Zitlin automatically reconcile QR payments? Reconciliation is manual confirmation by staff — you mark payment received in Zitlin after the guest completes the transfer. Zitlin records the payment method, amount, and timestamp on the folio. Automated reconciliation via bank statement import is not currently part of the feature.
Is my property's bank account details exposed when a guest scans the QR? The QR encodes your UPI ID, PayNow handle, DuitNow merchant ID, or equivalent — not your account number and IFSC. The same information you would share if you told a guest "pay to this UPI ID" verbally. The national payment rail handles the routing to your actual bank account.
Can I add a QR system for a country not currently on the list? Yes. Additional QR systems are added on demand. Contact us with the system name and country — we prioritize based on the number of properties requesting it.
Is QR payment support included in the free plan? Yes. QR code display for supported systems is available on the free plan.
